A proposed $300 million overhaul of Hobart’s Hanging Garden precinct, including a hotel, rooftop bar and major Odeon Theatre upgrade, is edging closer to council, with investors said to be buoyed by the confirmed Macquarie Point stadium.
The masterplan is being led by DarkLab, a creative subsidiary of Mona and Melbourne development firm Riverlee.
“It’s not locked in, but the master plan’s bedding down now,” DarkLab creative director Leigh Carmichael told Pulse.
“We’ve been working on that for a long time.”
The historic Odeon Theatre will be the centrepiece of the precinct. Image / Pulse (File)
“As part of that precinct, we’ve got a hotel, commercial offices, upgraded small band room, upgraded Odeon Theatre.”
“A building on Liverpool called Wellington House, which was the old Ugg boot store, we’re looking at that being a three-level venue – rooftop bar, new restaurant, hi-fi bar, listening room and new home for Music Without Frontiers.”
The Hanging Garden precinct would be a key figure in Hobart’s nightlife. Image / Pulse (File)
He said now the stadium was confirmed, investors had a confidence to push ahead.
“The Hanging Garden’s doing well,” he said.
“Odeon tickets continue to increase on average.
“We’re pushing up around 100 shows a year now. So, yeah, there’s confidence to get in now and get started, get it happening.”
The venue’s electrical system has been completely overhauled for safety reasons. Image / Pulse (File)
Carmichael said transforming the Odeon Theatre into a “world-class facility” would be the cultural heart of the precinct.
The first step of that is now complete, with $1 million spent upgrading the Odeon’s electrical system and installing air conditioning for the first time in its 110-year history after safety concerns last year forced an evacuation before a show.
“We’ve had some pretty uncomfortable nights in there over the last few years with heating in particular,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael said the improvements signal a renewed commitment to live music in Hobart, with the 1300 capacity venue central to festivals and the city’s night-time economy.
The Hanging Garden precinct in Hobart is set for a major transformation
Future upgrades will include improved toilets, accessibility features and bar renovations.
“I think spending a million dollars shows that we’re not just talking. We’re actually committed,” he said.
“I think it [the Odeon] underpins the entire precinct as a live music venue.”
The venue has played host to huge artists over the years including Nick Cave, You Am I, Grinspoon and Kate Miller-Heidke.
Carmichael said he had “big dreams” for future shows.
“I’ve always dreamed that we’d get The Cure,” he said.
“The Hanging Garden is named after a Cure song.”
With some similar-sized venues across Australia having been demolished for commercial development, the Odeon’s survival represents a cultural victory for Hobart’s music scene.
“The fact that we’ve still got the Odeon as a jewel in our crown in Hobart is a really important thing, and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way,” he said.
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